


Shielded In My Armor

by Sylphidine_Gallimaufry



Category: Rise of the Guardians (2012)
Genre: Angst and Feels, Childhood Friends, College, Growing Up, Immortality, Leaving Home, M/M, Mortality, Older Jamie Bennett (Rise of the Guardians), Songfic, change sucks, giftfic, simon and garfunkel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-31
Updated: 2021-01-31
Packaged: 2021-03-17 06:35:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 942
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29095881
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sylphidine_Gallimaufry/pseuds/Sylphidine_Gallimaufry
Summary: Jamie Bennett hates change. Change means loss.The other Burgess Believers are growing and changing all around him.Jack Frost stays constant.When Jamie is alone and friendless at university, Jack comes for a visit.
Relationships: Jamie Bennett/Jack Frost
Kudos: 18





	Shielded In My Armor

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by the classic song "I Am A Rock" by Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel.

_**A winter’s day** _

_**In a deep and dark December** _

_**I am alone** _

_**Gazing from my window** _

_**To the streets below** _

_**On a freshly fallen silent shroud of snow** _

_**I am a rock** _

_**I am an island** _

It was nice to be the one being hugged for once, instead of always having to initiate the hugging. Jamie let himself relax for the first time in months, leaning his head against Jack’s shoulder, feeling the rapidly-dissipating chill of Jack’s hoodie against his cheek. This had been a longer-than-usual semester for him since he’d transferred to a four-year university after a year at community college. Moving away from home, leaving friends and family, finding out that even among the weird kids he was just too weird to hang out with… Jamie needed Jack now.

And apparently Jack needed him.

* * *

**_I build walls_ **

**_A fortress deep and mighty_ **

**_That none may penetrate_ **

**_I have no need of friendship_ **

**_Friendship causes pain_ **

**_It’s laughter and it’s loving I disdain_ **

**_I am a rock_ **

**_I am an island_ **

Jamie noticed the differences in the Burgess Believers between the first summer after high school graduation, when everyone was still at home and happy to hang out with each other, and the second summer, when those who were in college or on their way there had things to talk about that the ones who were joining the work world did not, and long awkward silences replaced never-ending conversations.

He’d convinced himself that after all their years of living on the same street, he and Pippa were meant to be together as soulmates, ignoring all her wise words about the strength of platonic love.

He’d convinced himself that the bond of their experiences fighting the Boogeyman would override the personality differences between him and Cupcake, and that theirs would be an eternal friendship, ignoring the signs of her envy of his stable family life.

He’d convinced himself that he and the twins would always share the same interests since they’d known each other since kindergarten, ignoring that Caleb was a completely separate person from Claude and not an interchangeable cog.

He’d convinced himself that Monty would always be shy and awkward, ignoring the facts right in front of him that confidence can be gained and make a person stronger without any visible clues. 

He'd convinced himself that Sophie would always need him to lean on, more than he'd ever need to lean on her. 

Having his convictions shattered had an equally shattering effect on him.

The differences didn’t seem to affect anyone's status as Believers; they all still had fervent faith in the existence of the Guardians, and that faith still bound the seven of them to having something in common. But the dynamics of their group kept changing, slowly and inexorably; too often Jamie heard of Jack visiting the others one at a time, rather than Jack visiting when two or four of them were together in the same place.

[It was rare that they were _ALL_ together in the same place, that second summer.] 

He hated that he was relieved to go off to the school he despised, but which would give him a good degree, rather than being upset at being left behind.

Jamie hated change, and wanted to stop Time.

So when Jack flew in his window at uni just before Finals week, Jamie was very happy for the constancy of an immortal frost spirit.

* * *

They lay together on Jamie’s bed, arms wrapped around one another. Jamie had never been more thankful about landing a single in his dorm; transfer students usually didn’t get so lucky.

“I… am a… _O_ -bli-GATE _CAR_ -nivore.” Jack kissed Jamie on the nose and used a hint of teeth, just because he could. “And you… you are…”

“Crazy for putting up with you.”

“I am wounded! I die! Oh, farewell, cruel world!” At that, Jamie kissed Jack back.

The vinyl record kept spinning on the turntable, spilling out glittering guitar-strummed melody and bitter dual harmony.

**_Don’t talk of love_ **

**_Oh I’ve heard the word before_ **

**_It’s sleeping in my memory_ **

**_I won’t disturb the slumber_ **

**_Of feelings that have died_ **

**_If I’d never loved I never would have cried_ **

**_I am a rock_ **

**_I am an island_ **

**_I have my books  
_ **

**_And my poetry to protect me_ **

**_I am shielded in my armor_ **

**_Hiding in my room_ **

**_Safe within my womb_ **

**_I touch no one and no one touches me_ **

**_I am a rock_ **

**_I am an island_ **

They were each lost in their own thoughts as the album side ended and the turntable clicked itself off. After a long moment, Jamie blurted out, ****“How did you ever manage to stop yourself from becoming this guy? Three hundred years alone, humans not able to see you, other spirits either ignoring you or actively hostile to you… seriously, why aren’t you, like, totally an emotionally detached sociopath?”

Jack took far too long to answer, and Jamie’s heart thumped, and his brain shouted at him, _he’s going to leave you too!_

Finally Jack replied, “Every kid I ever saw, even if they never saw me... they had fun when I was around. I made a difference in their lives, even if they never knew who did it. I had all of you kids to show off for, year after year, until your generation opened its eyes and believed in me.” His voice thickened. “And hopefully generations after you will keep believing in me.”

Jamie hugged Jack tighter as the frost spirit shuddered, cold tears and warm trickling from two sets of eyes.

**_And a rock feels no pain._ **

**_And an island never cries._ **


End file.
